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tv   Deutsche Welle Journal  LINKTV  March 26, 2013 2:00pm-2:30pm PDT

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>> welcome to the "journal" coming to from dw in berlin. >> german-russian tensions after moscow searches and german ngo 's. berlin sent -- suns a russian envoy in protest. >> the green light given to the rebels in their fight against the assad regime. >> the u.s. supreme court takes up the controversial issue of same-sex marriage.
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>> the state of relations between russia and germany is tense at this hour following new raids on a number of german ngo 's in various russian cities. >> non-governmental organizations include a foundation which has close links to chancellor merkel's party. some of its computers were confiscated, and the foundation linked to the german social democrats was also searched. these searches are part of what activists are calling a crackdown on western non- governmental organizations deemed to be working as foreign agents. the german foreign ministry is calling the actions unacceptable and has summoned the russian envoy to give an explanation. let's crossover now live to moscow and our correspondent. russia passed a law last year that paved the way for such searches. why are russian lawmakers taking this hard line against western
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ngo's? >> actually, these actions against western ngo's are only a small part of a wide campaign that we have witnessed here, mainly aimed against russian ngo's that are cooperating with western ngo's or political foundations like the ones the russians search. german authorities want to prove that they are serious about this law that was passed that was supposed to restrict access of russian ngo's to funding. the purpose of these searches seemed to be to least unsettled if not frighten the russian ngo 's and their german or international partners. >> is there a possibility this will lead to a chill in german- russian relations? moscow is a key partner for energy issues and is a very powerful neighbor. >> president putin has made clear many times that he does not tolerate any country or
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anyone influencing russia and the opinion of russian citizens from abroad. he is a strong supporter of this new ngo. it seems russian authorities are willing the risking a cool down in relations with germany. they seemed to think that germany does not want to and cannot afford to risk damage to the very tight business relations with russia. that remains to be seen. actually in about two weeks, vladimir putin is set to meet angela merkel in germany. they want to visit a trade fair together. then we will see if it is really back to business, but i guess if there will be a cool down, it will not be long because there are just, as you said, too many tight relations and important issues to be solved. >> thanks so very much. breaking news now, and an arab summit has agreed that member states have the right to provide military support to syrian
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opposition members fighting president bashar al assad. >> they have also been voicing their political support for the syrian opposition. delegates invited syria's national coalition to take the country's official seat in the summit in qatar. the movement is a much-needed diplomatic boost for the sources in damascus. there is serious opposition remains deeply divided on issues from strategy to political leadership. than that internationally, he is viewed by many as the face of serious opposition. in a speech to delegates, he praised the arab world for helping syrian refugees and said western countries were looking on as the syrian people suffered. >> in the name of our oppressed people, we are calling for full
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support, especially in the right to self-defense. a seat of the united nations and other international organizations, and for a freeze of regime funds. stolen from the syrian people. they must be kept for rebuilding and reconstruction. and although he has taken the main seat for the syrian delegation, there are deep rifts within the national coalition. the house has played an active role in syrian opposition politics by encouraging a choice as transitional prime minister in level-held areas. the u.s. based executive has little support. the cracks in the national coalition have allowed other rival groups to extend their influence. salafists and other radical militias are jockeying for a position in the area. they gained power in eastern southern syria and in the outskirts of damascus as well.
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this is the subject of concern at the arab league summit and also for the u.s. and eu, who had pinned their hopes on a unifying figure in the syrian opposition. >> joining us now in the studio for some analysis is a representative from the institute of international and security affairs. what is behind the surprise announcement? and will we see arms flowing into syria? >> we already see arms flowing into syria. i think this is a move to legitimize dot these movements, especially on the part of the qataris and saudis. >> there is not an abstract painter, but we already see a regional escalation. the government in lebanon, just to give you an example, broke down last week.
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hezbollah is hardening its stance towards its opponents in the country, so we already see a regional escalation. we also see it in iraq. >> we have not talked about iran in terms of this escalation yet. how do we expect syria's key regional ally, iran, to react to this development? >> i was told that they would do their utmost to keep the assad regime in power. we will now see if that was serious or not, but we should expect serious escalation on the part of the iranians. as far as i know, they are sending weapons nearly every day on cargo planes to damascus and other cities in the country. >> in terms of the western weaponry and now perhaps arab league weaponry as well. tunisia has announced it is
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cracking down onto lesions going there. what kind of role are they playing in the opposition? >> the g podcasts -- jihadists but still extremely well organized, although they are a minority. salafists are worried about the mainstream muslim brotherhood because that might not be an extremely radical organization, but it is a lot more radical in syria than in egypt or tunisia. >> as ever, thank you so very much. >> all right, now to cyprus where business is essentially at a standstill. banks are shut down until least there's a. shells at food stores are empty, and gas stations are closed. >> imports as well are not arriving in this island nation. suppliers are concerned they might not even be paid. there have also been angry protests outside the parliament building with people demanding
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the promise criminal investigation into the collapse of the banking sector take up its work quickly. >> the use/imf bailout is coming under attack, including from the outgoing chairman of the bank of cyprus. >> the crisis is creating unlikely allies. workers from the bank of cyprus protesting at company headquarters proclaimed solidarity with their boss. earlier, the bank chairman tendered his resignation, reportedly in protest over the terms of the eu bailout. bank workers now fear the worst. >> everything hangs in the balance. it is all about destroying the banking sector in cyprus. we will do what is necessary to fight for the rights of bank workers. >> nearby, a crowd of mainly young cypriots vented their anger in front of the presidential palace. they are blaming all politicians and bankers for the country's plight.
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thousands are now threatened with unemployment. at the moment, we do not know what the future holds. >> we wanted to go to jail for it. >> politicians are doing little to dispel those fears. the labor minister has warned cypriots to brace themselves for a sharp economic downturn and a steep rise in unemployment. >> let's get more now from correspondent nathan morley who is standing by in nicosia. this bailout was supposed to get things back on track, but there is still so much uncertainty. what is the latest? >> yes, now we are looking at the social implications of this crisis and actually seeing this unfold day by day. businesses cannot pay their employees, their salaries, but banks continue to be closed. the number of people seeking help from social markets where food is subsidized is growing by the day.
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the church is solidifying efforts to make sure the needy get what they need -- food and supplies. friday is a very important day. state salaries are paid. if the banks are not operating by friday and the civil servants are not paid, goodness knows what will happen. >> do the people seem to be taking this in stride, or is this a real sense of uproar in the streets? >> i would not say they are taking it in stride. i think people are so tired and exhausted, and every piece of news seems to be bad. they are looking for a conclusion to this now, and they are not getting any answers, either. i have to be honest with you. we are hearing banks said they are opening on tuesday and then not. they were meant to be opening last week. we hear the first opening might be delayed until next week. people are getting increasingly fed up and really want to see the state take some action now.
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>> nathan morley for us in cyprus. thanks for the update. well, the uncertainty in cyprus once again dominated trading on tuesday. our correspondent has a check on how stocks faired. >> cyprus creek the mood here on the frankfurt floor and dragged shares down -- cyprus heard the mood here -- cyprus hurt the mood. they are looking at remarks by the head of the europe group. these remarks stem from the previous day's trading, but there is still an issue here. people are still getting very excited over it, still criticizing him harshly. because he said that the kind of bailout that was achieved for cyprus might be a model for the rest of the eurozone, and that leaves the impression that money is nowhere to be safe in the eurozone. >> let's get a closer look at
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those market numbers for you now. we stay in europe where the tax not doing a lot on the day, eking out a slight gain. euro stoxx 50 in negative territory. the dow got a little more of a bump, mostly on positive home price data that could indicate an improving u.s. economy. the euro/dollar is currently on the rise. >> as the economic crisis in cyprus deepens, china and russia have announced the creation of an alternative banking system that will provide a counterbalance to the imf and world bank. the leaders of those countries along with those from brazil, india, and south africa are meeting for a summit to hammer out a joint strategy to harvest -- contest their growing economic power. it is likely to focus on infrastructure financing, a direct challenge to seven decades of dominance by the world bank. >> with this summit, the brits are hoping to kickstart development that will bring
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financial independence. the quintet say they are keen to form a counterbalance to the established powers of the world bank and international monetary fund. the group is considering a joint reserve pool worth 93 billion euros, designed to help emerging economies having payment difficulties, and the development bank with a budget of nearly 40 billion euros, designed to improve infrastructure within member nations as well as in other emerging and developing economies. the five brics members account for nearly 40% of the world's population and together make up about a quarter of world gdp, but there are major differences in individual member economies. china's gross domestic product grew by over 9% in 2011, for example. it is a powerhouse that none of the others can match. the potential of the bric countries is huge, but analysts
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say they will have their work cut out for them to come up with a deal that will work long term. >> when we come back, the european union getting ready to welcome its 28 member. >> that and more.
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>> welcome back. >> thanks for staying with us. to the u.s. where america's highest court is considering the legality of same-sex marriages. >> the supreme court has started reviewing a ban on gay marriage in california. it is likely to be months before the judge issues -- the judges issue a verdict, but some judges have raised concern about entering what they call the uncharted waters. 29 u.s. states banned same-sex marriage, but new polls show the majority of americans now support it. we are joined now by our correspondent who is standing by
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with us. what more can you tell us? do we have a sense of what direction this might go in? them indefinitely, the judges seem to be aware at the hearing of the potential explosiveness of the topic. you know that many people compare the outstanding decision here with the supreme court decision of 1967 when it overturned all bans on interracial marriages. that, of course, was a huge for civil rights, and this has the same kind of scope for civil rights in the u.s.. one judge to watch is anthony kennedy. he was appointed by reagan back in the 1980's, so he is a potential republican, but he has proved to be the swing vote for many important decisions by the supreme court lately. either tipping the supreme court in one direction or the other, and he is the guy who said that the supreme court was potentially entering uncharted waters, so that does not sound like a sweeping measure. then again, adhering sometimes
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the supreme court judges are very critical, but the outcome, the ruling in the end is very different. >> this all has to do with something called proposition 8. can you explain to us what that is exactly? >> well, it is a california measure, california law that was enacted in 2008 banning same-sex marriage just a couple of months after it was made possible. since then, this law has been overturned by several courts, but those rulings are on hold until the supreme court makes its decision. as of now, it is not possible for gays and lesbians in california to get married. >> it is likely to be a couple of months before we do have that decision. thanks. >> on now to another high- profile court case -- this one here in germany. it is set to take place in the country next month. a key member of a neo-nazi group will go on trial for involvement in a string of racially motivated killings. >> the case has been highly controversial and has already put the german authorities who
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failed to prevent the murders in the hot seat. >> turkish journalists have expressed their anger that the limited number of spots in the courtroom did not allow for turkish media to attend. most of the victims of the crimes were ethnic turks. >>a101, the court room in munich where the long awaited trial will open in munich. in a country still processing its nazi past, the case has sent shockwaves through the nation and generated a huge media interest. germany is still voicing his belief that the court room only has very few seats available for reporters, and they have all been allocated. >> we from the german federation of journalists think it is outrageous that only 50 journalists will have access to the court room. it is also particularly problematic that no members of the turkish or international media -- well, very few -- have gained entry. this does not show the german judiciary in a good light.
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>> the defendants are charged with 10 racially motivated murders. they are thought to be part of a terror cell that called itself the national socialist underground. eight of the victims had turkish roots. turkish media have been reporting on the story in detail over recent months, but not a single turkish reporter has been given access to the courtroom during the trial. >> it would have been good for the credibility of the court to create transparency in the way to a committee represent the victims. it is important to have both sides. >> turkish journalists here in germany have called for a live video link to another room at the courthouse. but officials in munich have categorically ruled that out, saying it is not possible for legal reasons. >> there may be a debt crisis
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raging on in europe, but that has not stopped croatia from wanting to join the eu. >> now they have been given the green light. the european commission says croatia can join on july 1. it would be the 20th member. >> but it was not all praise from the commissioner. it also pointed out that corruption and crime in the country still remain very big issues. we went to learn more. >> he and his assistant our fishermen. they worked the waters of a historic walled city on croatia's adriatic coast. their style of fishing has hardly changed for a century. >> there are fewer and fewer of us. we are a dying breed. nowadays, everyone is switching to 50-meter boats. >> there's a lot of manual labor involved in their work, something increasingly rare in europe. when croatia joins the eu, such
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traditional working methods are likely to be phased out. in the historic center, investors are pouring money into tourism infrastructure, but even though the easter holiday has begun, only a few visitors are here right now, and they are far outnumbered by the locals. the tables at many of the restaurants are empty. this owner says croatia with its potential for tourism at off- peak times, even though it has had eight years to get in shape for the eu market. >> dubrovnik needs better management. we need experts in tourism. we need better people who work professionally and can help find ways to solve this problem professionally. >> some locals say croatia's politicians have no idea about boosting tourism. shortly before easter, this is what the country's most popular
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tourist destination looks like -- roadworks. in the capital, zagreb, support for croatia's eu membership was strong in a referendum held last year, but now many people are having second thoughts. >> i think most people are happy about the eu, but if the croatian needs another year or two to get ready, to reorganize. i think we still have an unsolved problems that are going to get worse when they are among better organized countries. >> i think we are going to be slaves. a new slave society. countries like england, france, and germany will end up exploiting us. they will rule the markets and sell everything that belongs to croatia. >> it is a super idea.
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there are lots of things -- culture, the economy. we can work everywhere. we can study abroad for free in denmark, for example. >> but it may be years before croatia reaps the full benefits of eu membership. many fishermen fear there will be no improvements for them. the country's national debt is huge. corruption and cronyism are rife, and the justice system is weak, despite years of pressure from brussels for reforms. many here share the mood of the adriatic fisherman -- they fear competition from western europe and say zagreb does not protect the interests of the little people, but it is traditions like old-fashioned fishing that attract tourists. this restaurant owner says niche markets are croatia's strength. >> i think our future lies in exclusive tourism like golf and conventions and less in mass
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tourism. >> he is looking forward to july 1 when croatia is expected to join the eu. he says a wave of foreign investment can only do the country good. >> the european commission says croatia is ready to become the e you's 28 member. some people, though, as we heard in that report, doubt this. we asked our correspondent in brussels. >> yes, somebody told a cruel joke today, they said croatia still wanted to join the eu like a swimmer swimming toward the titanic as it is sinking. the serious point is look at the example of romania and bulgaria. both countries are riddled with corruption and difficulties, and the political imperative in brussels was to get the member states in. when there were complaints, they say they are not ready, they have not fulfilled the criteria. officials said actually once they are in the club, it is easier to make them comply with the rules. some people say that is the same
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now with croatia, that the political imperative is to make this club bigger. it is not absolutely necessary, and you have raised the question already -- why do people want to join? estonia has been bidding to join the euro in the midst of all the chaos in the eurozone. on one level, it is quite amusing to see this happening, but people ask why they are joining and what the ramifications are. people are saying greece was never ready to join the eurozone, so why are these people being ushered in? is it politics? is it reality? no one is too sure which is which. >> in germany's world cup qualifying campaign continues in nuremberg in a few minutes with the return leg against cuts extend. >> after beating them 3-0 on friday, anything but a resounding victory on friday would be a shock. once again, the coach cannot
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fill his preferred lineup with two players injured. >> germany needs to beat france in the qualifier or risk uncertainty in the playoffs. >> astray are currently second behind france after last week's unexpected draw against finland. there were no signs of anxiety, though among the spanish who made the trip to paris. spain have won three major titles in succession but without a quick return to form, they could struggle to qualify automatically for next year's world cup, the big event in brazil. that is all for now. thanks so much for joining us. >> we will see you next time. captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org--
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